5/23/2016

Much like Kristen Stewart did after Twilight, Emma Watson has steered down a more auteur-driven path following Harry Potter's finale. But if you thought that was where she would stay, then think again, because she's back in blockbuster territory with Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast, the latest in their wildly successful run of fairy tale adaptations.

The first trailer for the film has arrived, and it doesn't reveal much other than the gorgeous production design, the voices of the castle's enchanted staff, and a brief glimpse at Watson herself as Belle. Directed by Bill Condon (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn) with Dan Stevens as the Beast, Luke Evans as Gaston, Ian McKellen as Cogsworth, Josh Gad as Le Fou, Kevin Kline as Maurice, Emma Thompson as Mrs. Potts, plus Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Stanley Tucci, the film is likely to follow in the footsteps of Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Maleficent, and current smashThe Jungle Book. At this rate there's no reason for Disney to ever stop culling from their library of animated classics. Here's the official synopsis:

Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” is a live-action re-telling of the studio’s animated classic which refashions the classic characters from the tale as old as time for a contemporary audience, staying true to the original music while updating the score with several new songs. “Beauty and the Beast” is the fantastic journey of Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman who is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle’s enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast’s hideous exterior and realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince within.